'The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini' Is Being Adapted Into a Stage Play

Detective Minky Woodcock, star of Titan Comics and Hard Case Crime's graphic novel The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, is making her way to live-action on the stage.

Minky was created by artist, author, and playwright Cynthia von Buhler. Minky is a private detective in the 1920s with a fondness for rabbits. She debuted in the four-issue miniseries The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini in 2017, which earned critical praise. The hardcover collection of the series released in August.

Von Buhler wrote the stage play that debuts today at Theater 80 in New York City. The play will run until Nov. 10th.

The immersive show takes place on three floors of the theater, with audience members choosing to participate as either spiritualist, pragmatists, or the guests of Houdini himself. Which role they choose to play affects what they’ll see play out, inviting repeat viewings.

Minky is played by Pearls Daily, the burlesque performer and model who was named Miss Coney Island in 2018. She was also the model for Minky’s design in The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini. The remaining cast includes Vincent Cinque and Robyn Adele Anderson of Postmodern Jukebox.

Titan Comics also announced Minky’s next comic book adventure, Minky Woodstock: They Die Fast on Broadway. The comic sees Minky investigating the real-life murder of Olive Thomas, one of the earliest scandals to shake Hollywood.

“Back in the Golden era of Broadway, six showgirls made a pact not to turn out down-and-out like most did back then. Instead, all but one ended up dead! In They Die Fast on Broadway, I focus on the most famous of the six, Olive Thomas, who was the girl the word ‘flapper' was coined for,” von Buhler said in a statement. “She died from drinking mercury bichloride in Paris and it was never truly decided if it was a murder, suicide or accident. Minky Woodcock, on her next true crime case, will try to find out.”